


Five times Nicklas Bäckström didn’t smile for the camera, and the one time he did.

by AaliyahManira



Series: Solsken & Ryss [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Coming Out, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hockey, Idiots in Love, M/M, National Hockey League, Nicky has beautiful curls, Playoffs, Stanley Cup, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 16:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13239627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AaliyahManira/pseuds/AaliyahManira
Summary: Nicky's relationship with cameras is complicated and everyone swears he never smiles. So I give you the five times number 19 didn't smile for the cameras, and the one time he did.





	Five times Nicklas Bäckström didn’t smile for the camera, and the one time he did.

The time he smiled for Sasha. (1)

“But Nicky,” Alex whined, half-dressed with his ridiculously pink silk shirt hanging open to reveal half of his chest. His arms snaked around Nicky’s waist and pinned him squarely against the counter. Nicky laughed and leaned back into Sasha’s chest. “They’re so soft.”

“We’re going to be late if you don’t get dressed and let me finish getting ready.” Alex leaned forward and rubbed his cheek against Nicky’s curls, a cat-like smile on his face. Alex grabbed the gel off of the counter, planted a playful kiss on Nicky’s cheek, and disappeared into their hotel room with a booming laugh.

“We not be late now, Nicky. You done, I button shirt, and we go.” Nicky followed Alex into their room with a half-smirk on his face. He looked Alex over, from his bare feet to his half-buttoned shirt and messy hair. Alex was still laughing when he sat down to put his socks on and still laughing when Nicky kissed him senseless to steal the gel back. He drug a hand through his curls as he pulled back and tried his best to look unaffected.

“Get dressed, Sasha.” Nicky flashed him a brilliant smile and used his free hand to smooth the mess of Sasha’s greying hair.

 

The time he didn’t flip off the camera, even though he wanted to. (2)

Nicky was yelling long before the referees and the linesman actually registered that anything was wrong. He was still yelling when they figured it out and he was still yelling long after his helmet had hit the ice. No one approached him, no one tried to pull him away from a fight or stop him from being angry. They knew better. Instead, they kept their distance and let it happen. No one wanted to get in Papa’s way when he was mad.

Nicky swore at the officials a few extra times for good measure and skated off of the ice to take his seat.

When the camera’s caught his face, he was glaring at his gloves, helmet forgotten on the bench beside him. If they’d been close enough to hear, they’d have known he was still cursing, at himself and the referees and the whole of the Devils’ team. But, they weren’t and they couldn’t, and neither could anyone else.

Nicklas looked up and met the camera head on without even realizing he was. Alex told the bench that he was Mean Lars that day and that Nicky would be back soon.

 

The time he smiled for a baby. (3)

Nicky was feeling particularly charitable when he left Kettler, so he didn’t ask the valet to move his car, didn’t slip quietly away from the people and the cameras that were waiting for him beyond the doors. Instead, he went with the others to face them.

He was five autographs and two pictures in when he noticed someone floating at the edge of the group, watching the kid in front of him and keeping the crowd at arm’s length. The girl was in her mid-twenties or so, holding a baby on her hip.

“She with you?” The kid nodded and Nicky accepted the pen from the young man’s outstretched hand.

“My sister and my little brother. She’s trying to stay out of the way, Ollie doesn’t like strangers.” The girl had on a jersey under her sweater and the baby was tugging happily at her necklace.

“Would she like one too?” Nicky pointed with the pen in his hand and the kid nodded, a little suprised. It was quieter where the girl was standing and she looked up when they approached.

“Allie, hey… Someone wanted to say hi to you.” The girl’s eyes went wide in her face and Nicky couldn’t help the small smile that pulled the corners of his mouth up. He gestured toward the baby, who was making grabby hands at him.

“May I?” The girl smiled and handed the him over. The baby was so cute, Nicky wanted to eat him up. When he had the little boy laughing heartily, Nicky stopped making faces and extended his right hand to the girl. “I’m Nicklas Bäckström, it’s nice to meet you.” The girl, Allie, reached out to shake Nicky’s hand.

“Allison Rhoads. And that’s Oliver.” Nicky looked down at the baby in his arms and smiled.

 

The time he smiled into the darkness. (4)

Nicky woke up with a migraine. It radiated from his skull down into his neck and made every single sound feel like it was coming through a dozen speakers on every side of his head. He hurt everywhere and just the light of his phone while he was trying to call Trotz made him feel like he was going to be sick.

Trotz wasn’t exactly happy when Nicky missed, but Nicky would have preferred to spend the day on the ice than in bed in the dark and even Trotzy knew that. He got a ‘feel better’ from the coach and fired off a quick text to Alex before he pulled the blankets back up over his head.

When he woke up, his head still hurt. It didn’t feel like someone was simultaneously driving a knife into his skull and blaring heavy metal all around him, but it still hurt. It was completely dark in his bedroom with the blackout curtains drawn and the door closed. He sat up and reached for his phone. He was planning to text Alex and ask him about practice, but he never got that far because when he had a missed call from Alex from right after their practice should have started. He tapped on the voicemail and closed his eyes.

“Privyet, Nicky.” Alex’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. “Hope you’re sleeping right now, know you have headache, but wanted to tell you I loved you, just ‘cause. Sweet dreams Nicky, I love you.” It sounded like Alex blew him a kiss, but he wasn’t sure. He played the voicemail three times and he was smiling when he fell back into the pillows.

“I love you too, Sasha.”

 

The time he smiled at his team. (5)

The locker room was loud after every game, full of chirps and jokes and laughter and every other kind of celebratory noise men were capable of making. Alex was always the loudest, in every situation, all the time. The locker room after they locked down their spot in the playoffs was exactly the kind of place where Alexander Ovechkin fit in.

Nicky was quieter than Alex, always. He preferred to take up just enough space and make just enough noise. After all, Alex took up enough space for both of them.

They were all celebrating all around him, exchanging hugs and smiles. Nicky liked the way it felt to have them around him, liked the way winning looked on them. Andre dropped down beside him and threw a long arm over his shoulders.

“We did it!” He was gone as quickly as he came, returning to the others with a brilliant smile on his face. Nicky watched him go with a shake of his head. Ovi was next, but for once, he wasn’t yelling. He came up behind Nicky and leaned down on his shoulders.

“We did it, Nicky,” he said softly, his beard scratching at Nicky’s cheek. Nicky leaned against him and exhaled, a proud smile spreading over his face.

“Yeah, we did.”

 

And the time he smiled directly into the camera, because he couldn’t help it. (+1)

They’d done it, it wasn’t the first time and it hadn’t been the easiest time, but they made it to the second round. Alex collided with him the second the puck went in and Nicky couldn’t tell who squeezed harder in their celebratory hug. There was so much excitement running through him that he couldn’t even feel the soreness in his muscles and Alex was radiating so much joy that he was practically vibrating.

Nicky couldn’t help it, he knocked his helmet off of his own head, took Alex’s face in both of his hands, and kissed him in the middle of the ice.

The arena was already loud, but Nicky felt the second that the crowd saw them. He knew there were going to be cameras on them, questions to answer, but he didn’t care. It had been him keeping them in the shadows, he was the one that didn’t want to invite the world into their bubble because he was afraid that it would change everything. But he wasn’t afraid anymore. He dropped his gloves, wrapped his arms around Alex’s neck, and forced himself to take a deep breath.

“Nicky, you kissed me.” Nicky smiled and looked over at the camera that had focused in on them.

“I know, and I’m going to do it again.” And he did. He kissed Alex again, surrounded by their teammates and standing in the middle of the ice.


End file.
